Lockable bag



May 18, 1954 J. RIFKIN 2,678,671

LOCKABL B'IAG Filed July 28, 1949 Fig 6 Z8 45 /6 yLl-d v lnu I9 24 E g 42 INVENTOR JACOB P11-"K1N ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 16 Claims. 1

The invention relates to a lockable bag, the mouth of which is securely locked against unauthorized access to the contents thereof. Such bags are frequently used for the transmission of money, stoc' certificates and other valuables so that the only means of authorized access to the contents can be made by one having a key. Ii the bag has been cut or otherwise tampered with, the same would be revealed at once.

It is an object of the invention to construct an improved bag, the opening of which can be spread widely for ready insertion or removal of the contents and the entire opening of which bag is locked so that unauthorized entry cannot be made to the contents thereof without revealing the same.

Another object is to construct a lockable bag having side bars which close and seal the mouth or opening of the bag which mouth or opening 1 has at least one fold and each fold is firmly anchored against unauthorized pulling out of the fold or other access to the contents of the bag.

Other objects will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof in which:

Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of the bag;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the bag partially opened;

Figure 3 is a section through the locking bars in closed position taken on line 3--3 of Figure l showing an interengaging or locking lug and notch;

Figure 4 is a partial end view of the lock in unlocked position;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2 with the bars in closed relation; and

Figure 6 is a cross section through the lock taken on line 6 8 of Figure 4.

The bag is made or" suitable material I0 such as heavy canvas and is sewn together at each folded edge thereof on the inside by stitching I I. The cut-out bag blank is sewn after which it is turned in-side-out which brings the seam on the inside thereof so that the stitching cannot be cut and resewn to conceal the fact that the bag has been tampered with. The seam or stitching may be at any part of the bag and need not be at a fold, or a seamless bag could be used.

The bag has at least one fold I3 although preferably two such folds are provided at each end which enables the mouth of the bag to be opened more widely and with a rectangular opening. Each fold is directed inwardly so as to be gripped or locked in inwardly folded position when the bars are locked together as will be described.

A strip I4 of reinforcing material such as leather or the like is sewn at the upper edge of the bag at the mouth or opening thereof and on the outer face of the bag. This reinforcement has several functions in that it reinforces and strengthens the bag against abrasion by the locking bars and strengthens the mouth of the bag; but of greater importance, it renders the fold or folds I3 of sufficient stiiiness so that when the mouth of the bag is locked between the locking bars the fold or folds cannot be pulled out from between locking bars. For a more positive lock, buttons or a rivet I5 may be provided in each fold.

The mouth of the bag is locked by means of a pair of locking bars IB and I'I of metal and are shown as cast metal parts. At least one bar is of box-like or channel form and in fact both are so formed; however, the bar which carries the lock is of greater width or depth. The folded mouth of the bag is received and locked between the bars. The bars are firmly secured to the mouth or" the bag such as by rivets I8 and a metallic reinforcing strip I9 preferably is used against the inner face 0f the fabric at the opening into the bag.

The locking bars or channels are shorter than the width of the bag or shorter than half of the periphery of the opening of the bag whereby at least one fold I3 is provided at the opening. As particularly shown there are two inwardly directed folds I3, one at each end so that the bars may be spread apart a distance measured by the fold and the bag is opened to a rectangular opening for maximum accessibility into the bag.

Means are provided to lock the bars I6 and Il together closing the mouth of the bag which includes a key lock and interengaging lugs and recesses. The inter-engaging means shown includes a lug 22 and recess 23, Figure 3, at the bottom and at each end of the bars, the lug being carried by one bar and a recess being carried by the other. In the construction shown the recess 23 is carried by the locking bar I6 and the lug 22 by the locking bar I'I which are interengaged by tilting the bars and inserting the lugs into the recesses. The bar I carries an opening or cutback 24 at the bottom thereof for passing the bag therethrough which opening forms a slot when the two locking bars are together in closed position. The slot has a width slightly greater than the width of the folded bag mouth. 'I'he slot or recess need not t the end of the mouth of the bag too snugly; however, it should not be so loose as to permit a fold to be pulled out. A clearance of about is of an inch or even 1A; of an inch is not excessive. One bar such as the bar Il may have a ridge or tongue 25 which interengages with the inside of the other bar I6 which may have an undercut to receive the same so that there will be no open seam or crack between the bars when locked together.

A lock means or mechanism is provided to lock the bars together and is located centrally of the bars. The key lock 2s is shown as being carried by the wider bar I6 and the keeper 29, Figure 5, by the bar Il. The lower edges of the bars are secured together by inserting each lug into its respective recess and the key lock then locks the upper edge of the two bars together. The key locking means includes a key operated lock, the lock that is shown is of the cylindrical type. The lock carries a circular bolt 3B which in pivoting moves substantially horizontally and engages behind the keeper 2S carried by the bar I1 in order to lock the two bars against unauthorized separation. The locking bar carries a recess 3i to receive the keeper.

Preferably the lock` is a spring lock, that is, it carries a spring 34, which swings the circular bolt in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4 when released to the position shown in Figure 5. One end of the spring is anchored in a hole Se of the circular bolt and the other end is anchored in a slot 36. The circular bolt is secured to the shaft 3l for the lock cylinder.

The bolt 3G also carries a holding projection 40 which holds the circular bolt in open position against the tension of the spring 34 in cooperation with a spring pressed plunger 4l. 'The plunger is carried in a slideway or hole 42 on the locking bar it and has two lands or shoulders 43 and .4 thereon. The plunger is propelled outwardly by a spring 45. The shoulders on the plunger engage the inner face of the circular bolt 30 and prevents the plunger from being propelled out of the guide or slideway il?. The plunger is long enough in extended position so that when the lock is in open position as shown in Figure 4, and the two bars are brought together, the end of the plunger engages the inner wall of the locking bar il and is pressed inwardly so that the shoulder of the holding projection 4l) on the circular bolt no longer engages the edge of the plunger and the spring 34 propels the saine in clockwise direction to looked position as shown in Figure 5. This brings the circular bolt 3i? behind the keeper 2S on the bar IT to lock the two bars together. In locked position, the projection Li! on the circular bolt engages the second shoulder M on the plunger and holds the latter in retracted position. A spring lock, therefore, is provided which automatically locks upon bringing the two bars together and which lock is held in unlocked position so long as the bars are separated and the plunger is not manually depressed.

Although the bag illustrated and described has a pair of oppositely disposed folds and hence has widely separable interengaging means at each end of the locking bars, it is to be understood that a serviceable bag can be made having but one fold and the widely separable securing or locking means need be provided only at such end as has a fold in the bag and hence requires wide separation. Although the lock is shown at the center of the bars it need not be so located and. it provides a means which secures the bars together and permits wide separation of the bars when unlocked.

The plunger il is illustrative of means engaging or engaged by the circular bolt 30 to hold le same in open position against the rotation thereof by the spring 34 and the shoulder formed by the end thereof being engageable by the other locking bar I1 to depress or move the same away from the bolt when the locking bars are put together to release the bolt so that it is moved to locking position by its spring. The lands or shoulder 43 provides a simple construction of stop for retainingthe holding means depressed or particularly the slidable plunger Within the slideway d2. The cylinder lock is one which moves to locked position as shown in Figure 5 when propelled by the spring 34 and stops in that position.

The invention is presented to ll a need for improvements in a Lockable Bag. It is understood that various modications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after beneting from the teachings of an invention. Hence it will be understood that this disclosure is illustrative of preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form by explaining the construction, operation and advantages thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A lockable bag comprising a bag of fabric or the like having an opening with at least one fold therein, a pair o locking.T bars secured to the edge of the opening oi' the bag and each having a length less than half the periphery of the opening, means securing at least one end of the locking bars together and releasable for wide separation of the locking bars, and a lock for locking the pair of bars together including a circular bolt having an inner face, spring means propelling the bolt to locked position, holding means mounted adjacent to the bolt and engaging the same to hold the bolt in open position, mounting means for the holding means which is normally freely removable therefrom, a spring propelling the holding means outwardly, the holding means engaging the inner wall of the other locking bar when mounting the same on the other bar and depressing the same to release the bolt, a shoulder carried by the holding means and engaging the inner face of the circular bolt when in unlocked position to retain the holding means in the mounting means when in extended position.

2. A lockable bag as in claim 1 in which the bolt holding means is a slidable plunger, and said mounting means is a slideway upon the locking par.

3. A lockable bag as in claim l including a projection carried by the bolt, a second shoulder carried by the holding means engaged by the projection on the bolt when the bolt is in locking position to retain the holding means in retracted position.

Il. A lockable bag as in claim l in which the bolt holding means is a slidable plunger, and the mounting means is a slideway upon the locking bar mounting the plunger thereon, a projection carried by the bolt, and a second shoulder carried by the plunger spaced outwardly from the iirst shoulder and engaging the inner face of the pr jection when in loci-:ed position to retain the plunger in retracted position.

5. A lock comprising a housing, a rotatable key actuated cylinder mounted in the housing. a circular bolt carried by the cylinder and ro tatable therewith to and from locked position, spring means propelling the circular bolt and cylinder to locked position, holding means mounted adjacent to the bolt and movable to a position away therefrom and to a position to be engaged thereby to hold the bolt in unlocked position, mounting means for the holding means which is normally freely removable therefrom, spring means propelling the holding means outwardly to a position engaging the bolt, and a shoulder on the holding means engaging the inner face of the bolt when in unlocked position to retain the holding means within the mounting means when in extended position.

6. A lock as in claim including a projection upon the bolt, a second shoulder carried by the holding means and engaging the inner face of the projection when the bolt is in locked position to retain the holding means in retracted position.

7. A lock as in claim 5 in which the holding means is a plunger, said mounting means being a slideway carried by the lock housing mounting the plunger for sliding movement, said shoulder carried by the plunger engaging the inner face of the bolt when in unlocked position to retain the plunger against removal from the slideway.

8. A lock as in claim 5 in which the holding means is a plunger, said mounting means being a slideway carried by the housing mounting the plunger for sliding movement, a projection carried by the bolt and engaging the plunger to hold the bolt in unlocked position, a second shoulder carried by the plunger and engaging the inner face of the projection when in locked position to retain the plunger in retracted position.

9. A lock as in claim 8 including a third shoulder carried by the plunger and adapted to be engaged to depress the plunger and release the Ibolt.

l0. A lock as in claim 5 including a projection on the bolt, a second shoulder carried by the holding means and engaging the inner face of the projection when the bolt is in locked position to retain the holding means in retracted position, and a third shoulder carried by the holding means adapted to be engaged to depress the holding means and release the bolt.

11. A lockable bag comprising a bag of fabric or the like having an opening with one fold at opposite edges of the opening, a pair of locking bars secured to the edge of the opening of the bag and each having a length less than half the periphery of the opening, the ends of the bars extending beyond the folded bag. interengaging means at each extended end of the bars for securing each end of the locking bars together and releasable for Wide separation thereof, the interengaging means being engageable by tilting the interengaging means and bars together, the lower edges of the locking bars snugly receiving the edge of the bag when in closed engagement, and a lock for locking the pair of bars together.

12. A lockable bag as in claim 11 in which the releasable interengaging securing means is provided at each lower edge of the locking bars.

13. A lockable bag as in claim 1l including the inner edges of the folds being spaced from each other, and the lock being located centrally of the locking bars between the spaced edges of the folds including a keeper at the upper edge of a bar.

14. A lock comprising a housing, a rotatable key actuated cylinder mounted in the housing, a bolt operated by the cylinder having a face thereon and a shoulder, spring means propelling the bolt and cylinder to locked position, a slideway positioned against the bolt, holding means mounted in the slideway and movable to a position away from the bolt and to a position to be engaged by the shoulder on the bolt to hold the bolt in open position, spring means propelling the holding means to a position engaging the shoulder on the bolt, and a shoulder on the holding means engaging a face of the bolt when in unlocked position to retain the holding means in the slideway against the tension of the spring.

15. A lock as in claim 14 including a second shoulder on the holding means and engaging the bolt when in locked position to retain the holding means in its slideWay.

16. A lock as in claim l5 including a third shoulder on the holding means and adapted to be engaged by a wall to depress the holding means and release the bolt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 302,920 Ludington Aug. 5, 1884 308,704 Rickart Dec. 2, 1884 1,090,305 Hoffman Mar. 17, 1914 1,525,303 Lanphere Feb. 3, 1925 1,826,976 Wright Oct. 13, 1931 

